Filter means for aquariums



April 6, 1954 c. PE1-TAS FILTER MEANS FOR QUARIUMS Filed April 22. 1952n ,.31 i IVWWMH.. iwi/f y f l.

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Patented Apr. 6, 1954 UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,674,574FILTER-MEANS Fon `AQt-IARIUMSI Constant' Ptts, Montreal, Qubec, CanadaApplicatidn April 22', 195.2, Serial No. 283,631 4o1aims. (C1. 21o- 16)The present inventionrelates to filter and aerating means, and moreparticularly, such means especially adapted `or'cleaning and aeratingthe water of aquariums containing exotic sh and the like marine life Inaquariums containing vegetable and animal life, the lay-products of saidlife are'accumulated gradually at the bottom, and, eventually will causecloudiness of the water, foul odors and other difficulties, and,inextreme cases, may even endanger the lives of the iish living in saidaquariums. As it is not considered good practice among fish fanciers tochange the water of their aquariums often-the generally used practice isto clean or filter the water to remove therefrom the vegetable andanimal residues, this cleaning being effected by syphoning the bottom ofthe aquariums or circulating the Water therein into some form of outsideltering means wherein the suspended residue of the Water is caught.

Such filtes have been known for some time and used for the purpose abovenoted, the filters in question operating by circulating the waterthrough charcoal, sand or other ilteri-ng elements; such lters clograpidly, are too large to be disposed within an aquarium and require, inmost instances, elaborate pumping and circulating means for drawing foulwater from the aquarium and returning clean waterthereto;

The present invention hasbeen` conceived to avoid the disadvantagesnoted above by providing a simple, eicient and practical filter whichcan be conveniently operatediby the means usually available to iishfanciers namely, a stream of air under slight pressure which is usedcommonly for aerating aquariums throughA a porous stone.

According to the present invention a combination lter and aerator isprovided inrone single device which may conveniently be placed in acorner of the aquarium for the purpose of ltering and aerating the watertherein. n

The main object of the invention, therefore, may be stated to reside inthev provision of a combination device for `use in aquariums, suchdevice being of improved character andof increased eiiciency. Y

Another object of the invention isl the -provision of a lter in which afiltering' element can be quickly replaced andwhi'chlter operates with asimple air strfe'ai'n".`

A further object ofthe4 invntioncontemplates a lter and aerator of thecharacter described, which aerator and filter are of simple character,fool-proof and silent sov as'not' to-dis'turb the sh in the quarium inwhichtlie aerator is disposed;

Finally, another object of thefinventin envisages a filter and aeratorhavingi the characteristics enumerated above; which! iilter fis-versatile: and. perfectly adaptedf-iorlcleaning-the- Surface'ofV aysandbed inA which it is disposed and the inside portion ofV said bedwhich is immediately adjacent the filter. andto serve also as asyphonf'for picking debris from the bottom or" an aquarium and generallyremoving the dirt thereon.

With Ythis in mind', the present invention comprises an aquarium aeratorand lter which includes meansWhereby water is drawn into a fluid inletchamber and through a filter chamber through the action of a slightstream of air under pressure.

More specically, a preferred construction of an aquarium lter inaccordance with the present invention includes in combination a lterchamber having aligned top and bottom openings with a packing of iilterVmaterial disposed Within thev chamber between the top and bottomopenings.` A fluid inlet chamber having an open top portion connecteddirectly to the filter chamberbottom opening and a closed bottom portionhaving a central extension of tubular formation is provided, with thetubular extension being disposed so as to project upwardly from thebottom portion through the uid inlet Chamber to terminate Within thelower portion of the lter chamber adjacent the filter packing. Thisarrangement provides a iluid passage from the exterior of the uid inletchamber to the interior of the filter chamber. The iluid inlet chamberis constructed soV as to have side walls extending upwardly lfrom thebottom portion in spacedapart relationship from the central tubularextension and spaced-apart openings are provided in the sidewalls so asto constitute fluid passages to the interior of the fluid inlet chamber.A straight elongated main tube is connected to the top opening ofthe'iilter chamber, with the other end of the tube being opened for thedischarge of aerated iiuid, and an air pressure tube is connectedintothe main tube adjacent the end in connection with the lter chamber so asto provide a means of forcing air through the main tube,` causingsuctionof the water to be ltered through the'fluid inlet chamber and thelter chamber.

Otherobj'ects and'advantages of the invention will become apparent or beparticularly pointed out, during the descriptiony to follow and byreferring to the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of the device according to the inventionin working position in an aquarium;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the device;

FigureVV is a cross-section' along line 1i-3 of Fig-ureQf;

Figure '41 is a cross-section along line fi-i of Figure'Z; and#jFigures-is' a f-ractionallongitudinal section showing a'nth'er way ofYI'ounn'ting the device for Referring now more particularly to thedrawings in which like reference characters indicate like elementsthroughout, the device, according to the invention comprises a circularfluid inlet chamber or base I having side apertures 2 and closed at itslower end by a bottom wall 3 which has a central opening 4 communicatingwith a central extension 5 of tubular formation coaxial with andextending upwardly from the bottom wall 3. A second tubular extension 8of smaller diameter, is inserted into and secured to the top end of thelower extension 5 thus forming a shoulder 1. An upwardly inclined outerliange 8 depends from the bottom edge of the chamber I to serve as ananchor member for firmly securing the device of the invention into thesand bed A of the aquarium B.

A bell shaped lter chamber 9 is attached at its lower larger end to theupper edge of the fluid inlet chamber I by having its inwardly curvededge I0 engaging a rim II depending from the upper marginal edge of thechamber I. The lter chamber 9 is preferably made of a transparentplastic and is lled with a ltering packing medium I2 such as glass wool.The upper smaller end of the bell shaped filter chamber 9 forms a socketI3 receiving with a snug fit a main tube I4.

A side air supply tube I6 has an outwardly curved upper end I'I adaptedto be connected to a flexible tubing I8 for supplying compressed air,extends alongside a portion of the tube I4 and is curved upwardly at itslower end I9 just before opening into the main tube I4. A collar securesthe air supplying side tube I6 to the main tube I4.

The device is preferably vertically disposed in the aquarium with theiiuid inlet chamber I embedded into the sand A as shown in Figure 2 andwith the upper end I5 of the main tube I4 projecting above the watersurface. Compressed air, preferably supplied by a diaphragm aircompressor such as commonly used for aquariums, is admitted into thecolumn of water inside the main tube I4 through tubing I8 and the sideaquarium whereby an upward water iiow is created within the device.Debris loaded water enters the side apertures 2 and the tubularextensions 5 and 6 of the uid inlet chamber I, passes through thefiltering medium I2 in the filter chamber 9 and the filtered water isaerated and discharged at the upper end I5 of the main tube I4.

It will be noted that the sand bed area lying close to the device of theinvention will be cleaned by the water now entering the side apertures2, of the fiuid inlet chamber I, while the sand bed area lying furtheraway from the device will be cleaned by the water flow entering throughthe bottom aperture 4 of the fluid inlet chamber I into the tubularextensions 5 and 6 and directly through the lter packing I2 in thefilter chamber 9.

The device may also be used for removing debris suspended in the waterof the aquarium freely resting on the sand bed A. For this purpose thearrangement shown in Figure 5 is used. The upper end I5 of the main tubeI4 is inserted within the tubular extension 5 of the fluid inlet chamberI and the latter is filled with glass wool 22. The device, when soarranged, is held in one hand and the lower end of the main tube I4 isbrought close to the debris to be collected. As in the previous case anupward water flow is established within the main tube I4 upon airadmission whereby the debris is sucked and discharged onto the glasswool 22 within the fluid inlet chamber I.

While a preferred embodiment according to the invention has beenillustrated and described it is understood that various modifications,may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. An aquarium aerator and filter comprising in combination, a filterchamber having aligned top and bottom openings, a packing of filtermaterial disposed within said filter chamber between said top and bottomopenings, a fluid inlet chamber having an open top portion connecteddirectly to said filter chamber bottom opening and a closed bottomportion having a central extension of tubular formation projectingupwardly from said bottom portion through said fluid inlet chamber toterminate within the lower portion of said filter chamber adjacent saidfilter packing so as to constitute a fluid passage from the exterior ofsaid fluid inlet chamber to the interior of said filter chamber, saidiuid inlet chamber including side walls extending upwardly from v saidbottom portion in spaced apart relationship from said central tubularextension and spaced apart openings in said side walls constitutingfluid passages to the interior of said fluid inlet chamber, a straightelongated main tube having one end connected to the said top opening ofsaid filter chamber with the other end of said tube being open for thedischarge of aerated uid, and an air pressure tube having one endconnected into said main tube adjacent the end in connection with saidlter chamber.

2. An aquarium aerator and filter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the topopening of said filter chamber is of circular outline and has a diametersubstantially equal to the diameter of said main tube, the said bottomopening of said lter chamber also being of circular outline and ofconsiderably greater diameter than said top opening, the open topportion of said fluid inlet chamber also being of circular outline andbeing of substantially equal diameter to said lter chamber bottomopening.

3. An aquarium aerator and filter as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidfilter chamber and said uid inlet chamber are of circular formation ingeneral cross section and said tubular extension is disposedconcentrically of said chambers along the axes thereof the lower portionof said f-extension having an inside diameter substantially equal to theoutside diameter of the end of said main tube connected to said filterchamber.

4. An aquarium aerator and filter as claimed in claim 1 whereinthebottom portion of said uid inlet chamber extends beyond said chamberside walls to provide an outstanding flange.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,275,428 Haldeman Mar. 10, 1942 2,491,853 Feldman Dec. 20,1949 2,515,538 Wall July 18, 1950 2,533,936 Holmes et al Dec. l2, 19502,614,529 K Hansen Oct. 21, 1952.

1. AN AQUARIUM AERATOR AND FILTER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A FILTERCHAMBER HAVING ALIGNED TOP AND BOTTOM OPENINGS, A PACKING OF FILTERMATERIAL DISPOSED WITHIN SAID FILTER CHAMBER BETWEEN SAID TOP AND BOTTOMOPENINGS, A FLUID INLET CHAMBER HAVING AN OPEN TOP PORTION CONNECTEDDIRECTLY TO SAID FILTER CHAMBER BOTTOM OPENING AND A CLOSED BOTTOMPORTION HAVING A CENTRAL EXTENSION OF TUBULAR FORMATION PROJECTINGUPWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM PORTION THROUGH SAID FLUID INLET CHAMBER TOTERMINATE WITHIN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID FILTER CHAMBER ADJACENT SAIDFILTER PACKING SO AS TO CONSTITUTE A FLUID PASSAGE FROM THE EXTERIOR OFSAID FLUID INLET CHAMBER TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID FILTER CHAMBER, SAIDFLUID INLET CHAMBER INCLUDING SIDE WALLS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAIDBOTTOM PORTION IN SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP FROM SAID CENTRAL TUBULAREXTENSION AND SPACED APART OPENINGS IN SAID SIDE WALLS CONSTITUTINGFLUID PASSAGES TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID FLUID INLET CHAMBER, A STRAIGHTELONGATED MAIN TUBE HAVING ONE END CONNECTED TO THE SAID TOP OPENING OFSAID FILTER CHAMBER WITH THE OTHER END OF SAID TUBE BEING OPEN FOR THEDISCHARGE OF AERATED FLUID AND AN AIR PRESSURE TUBE HAVING ONE ENDCONNECTED INTO SAID MAIN TUBE ADJACENT THE END IN CONNECTION WITH SAIDFILTER CHAMBER.